The Relationship between Personality Organization and Psychiatric Classification in Chronic Pain Patients

The assessment of PO is a crucial issue for diagnosis and treatment planning in CPPs, since it represents a measure of structural impairment that is to a considerable extent independent of axis I and II diagnoses. Moreover, the STIPO dimensional rating focuses on the most salient dysfunctions at a given time. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, BaselBackground: The present study investigated the relationship between psychiatric classification and personality organization (PO) in a secondary/tertiary clinical sample of chronic pain patients (CPPs). Sampling and Methods: Forty-three patients were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID I+II) and the Structured Interview of Personality Organization (STIPO). The prevalence of axis I and axis II disorders was correlated with the STIPO level of PO. The STIPO dimensional ratings of patients without personality disorder (PD) were compared to those of patients diagnosed with one or more PDs. Results: Axis I comorbidity was high (93%), and 63% of the patients met the criteria for at least one axis II diagnosis. Twenty-five patients (58%) were diagnosed as borderline PO, with high-level impairments in the dimensions `coping/rigidity', `primitive defenses' and `identity'. Higher axis I and axis II comorbidity corresponded with greater severity of PO impairment. No difference was found between the dimensional ratings of patients without PD and those of patients with one or more PDs. Conclusions

Emotions, Arousal, and Frontal Alpha Rhythm Asymmetry During Beethoven's 5th Symphony

Music is capable of inducing emotional arousal. While previous studies used brief musical excerpts to induce one specific emotion, the current study aimed to identify the physiological correlates of continuous changes in subjective emotional states while listening to a complete music piece. A total of 19 participants listened to the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's 5th symphony (duration: ~7.4min), during which a continuous 76-channel EEG was recorded. In a second session, the subjects evaluated their emotional arousal during the listening. A fast fourier transform was performed and covariance maps of spectral power were computed in association with the subjective arousal ratings. Subjective arousal ratings had good inter-individual correlations. Covariance maps showed a right-frontal suppression of lower alpha-band activity during high arousal. The results indicate that music is a powerful arousal-modulating stimulus. The temporal dynamics of the piece are well suited for sequential analysis, and could be necessary in helping unfold the full emotional power of musi

Soil wettability can be explained by the chemical composition of particle interfaces-An XPS study

Soil wettability (quantified in terms of contact angle, CA) is crucial for physical, chemical, and biological soil functioning. As the CA is determined by components present within the outmost nanometer of particles, this study applied X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) with a maximum analysis depth of 10 nm to test the relationship between CA and surface elemental composition, using soil samples from a chronosequence where CA increased from 0° (0 yrs) to about 98° (120 yrs). Concurrently, as seen by XPS, C and N content increased and the content of O and the mineral-derived cations (Si, Al, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe) decreased. The C content was positively correlated with CA and least squares fitting indicated increasing amounts of non-polar C species with soil age. The contents of O and the mineral-derived cations were negatively correlated with CA, suggesting an increasing organic coating of the minerals that progressively masked the underlying mineral phase. The atomic O/C ratio was found to show a close negative relationship with CA, which applied as well to further sample sets of different texture and origin. This suggests the surface O/C ratio to be a general parameter linking surface wettability and surface elemental composition.DFG/SPP/1315DFG/BA 1359/9DFG/FOR/180

Limited protection of macro-Aggregate-occluded organic carbon in Siberian steppe soils

Macro-aggregates especially in agricultural steppe soils are supposed to play a vital role for soil organic carbon (OC) stabilization at a decadal timescale. While most research on soil OC stabilization in steppes focused on North American prairie soils of the Great Plains with information mainly provided by short-term incubation experiments, little is known about the agricultural steppes in southwestern Siberia, though they belong to the greatest conversion areas in the world and occupy an area larger than that in the Great Plains. To quantify the proportion of macro-aggregate-protected OC under different land use as function of land use intensity and time since land use change (LUC) from pasture to arable land in Siberian steppe soils, we determined OC mineralization rates of intact (250–2000 µm) and crushed (< 250 µm) macro-aggregates in long-term incubations over 401 days (20 °C; 60 % water holding capacity) along two agricultural chronosequences in the Siberian Kulunda steppe. Additionally, we incubated bulk soil (< 2000 µm) to determine the effect of LUC and subsequent agricultural use on a fast and a slow soil OC pool (labile vs. more stable OC), as derived from fitting exponential-decay models to incubation data. We hypothesized that (i) macro-aggregate crushing leads to increased OC mineralization due to an increasing microbial accessibility of a previously occluded labile macro-aggregate OC fraction, and (ii) bulk soil OC mineralization rates and the size of the fast OC pool are higher in pasture than in arable soils with decreasing bulk soil OC mineralization rates and size of the fast OC pool as land use intensity and time since LUC increase. Against our hypothesis, OC mineralization rates of crushed macro-aggregates were similar to those of intact macro-aggregates under all land use regimes. Macro-aggregate-protected OC was almost absent and accounted for < 1 % of the total macro-aggregate OC content and to a maximum of 8 ± 4 % of mineralized OC. In accordance to our second hypothesis, highest bulk soil OC mineralization rates and sizes of the fast OC pool were determined under pasture, but mineralization rates and pool sizes were unaffected by land use intensity and time since LUC. However, at one chronosequence mean residence times of the fast and slow OC pool tended to decrease with increasing time since establishment of arable use. We conclude that the tillage-induced breakdown of macro-aggregates has not reduced the OC contents in the soils under study. The decline of OC after LUC is probably attributed to the faster soil OC turnover under arable land as compared to pasture at a reduced plant residue input.BMBF/01 LL 0905Russian Ministry of Education and Science/14.B25.31.003

Microbial community dynamics in soil depth profiles over 120,000 years of ecosystem development

Along a long-term ecosystem development gradient, soil nutrient contents and mineralogical properties change, therefore probably altering soil microbial communities. However, knowledge about the dynamics of soil microbial communities during long-term ecosystem development including progressive and retrogressive stages is limited, especially in mineral soils. Therefore, microbial abundances (quantitative PCR) and community composition (pyrosequencing) as well as their controlling soil properties were investigated in soil depth profiles along the 120,000 years old Franz Josef chronosequence (New Zealand). Additionally, in a microcosm incubation experiment the effects of particular soil properties, i.e., soil age, soil organic matter fraction (mineral-associated vs. particulate), O2 status, and carbon and phosphorus additions, on microbial abundances (quantitative PCR) and community patterns (T-RFLP) were analyzed. The archaeal to bacterial abundance ratio not only increased with soil depth but also with soil age along the chronosequence, coinciding with mineralogical changes and increasing phosphorus limitation. Results of the incubation experiment indicated that archaeal abundances were less impacted by the tested soil parameters compared to Bacteria suggesting that Archaea may better cope with mineral-induced substrate restrictions in subsoils and older soils. Instead, archaeal communities showed a soil age-related compositional shift with the Bathyarchaeota, that were frequently detected in nutrient-poor, low-energy environments, being dominant at the oldest site. However, bacterial communities remained stable with ongoing soil development. In contrast to the abundances, the archaeal compositional shift was associated with the mineralogical gradient. Our study revealed, that archaeal and bacterial communities in whole soil profiles are differently affected by long-term soil development with archaeal communities probably being better adapted to subsoil conditions, especially in nutrient-depleted old soils

Storage and transformation of organic matter fractions in cryoturbated permafrost soils across the Siberian Arctic

In permafrost soils, the temperature regime and the resulting cryogenic processes are important determinants of the storage of organic carbon (OC) and its small-scale spatial variability. For cryoturbated soils, there is a lack of research assessing pedon-scale heterogeneity in OC stocks and the transformation of functionally different organic matter (OM) fractions, such as particulate and mineral-associated OM. Therefore, pedons of 28 Turbels were sampled in 5 m wide soil trenches across the Siberian Arctic to calculate OC and total nitrogen (TN) stocks based on digital profile mapping. Density fractionation of soil samples was performed to distinguish between particulate OM (light fraction, LF, 1.6 g cm−3), and a mobilizable dissolved pool (mobilizable fraction, MoF). Across all investigated soil profiles, the total OC storage was 20.2 ± 8.0 kg m−2 (mean ± SD) to 100 cm soil depth. Fifty-four percent of this OC was located in the horizons of the active layer (annual summer thawing layer), showing evidence of cryoturbation, and another 35 % was present in the upper permafrost. The HF-OC dominated the overall OC stocks (55 %), followed by LF-OC (19 % in mineral and 13 % in organic horizons). During fractionation, approximately 13 % of the OC was released as MoF, which likely represents a readily bioavailable OM pool. Cryogenic activity in combination with cold and wet conditions was the principle mechanism through which large OC stocks were sequestered in the subsoil (16.4 ± 8.1 kg m−2; all mineral B, C, and permafrost horizons). Approximately 22 % of the subsoil OC stock can be attributed to LF material subducted by cryoturbation, whereas migration of soluble OM along freezing gradients appeared to be the principle source of the dominant HF (63 %) in the subsoil. Despite the unfavourable abiotic conditions, low C / N ratios and high δ13C values indicated substantial microbial OM transformation in the subsoil, but this was not reflected in altered LF and HF pool sizes. Partial least-squares regression analyses suggest that OC accumulates in the HF fraction due to co-precipitation with multivalent cations (Al, Fe) and association with poorly crystalline iron oxides and clay minerals. Our data show that, across all permafrost pedons, the mineral-associated OM represents the dominant OM fraction, suggesting that the HF-OC is the OM pool in permafrost soils on which changing soil conditions will have the largest impact.Russian Ministry of Education and Science/14.B25.31.0031German Federal Ministry of Education and Research/03F0616AEvangelisches Studienwerk VilligstDF

Effects of soil organic matter properties and microbial community composition on enzyme activities in cryoturbated arctic soils

Enzyme-mediated decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) is controlled, amongst other factors, by organic matter properties and by the microbial decomposer community present. Since microbial community composition and SOM properties are often interrelated and both change with soil depth, the drivers of enzymatic decomposition are hard to dissect. We investigated soils from three regions in the Siberian Arctic, where carbon rich topsoil material has been incorporated into the subsoil (cryoturbation). We took advantage of this subduction to test if SOM properties shape microbial community composition, and to identify controls of both on enzyme activities. We found that microbial community composition (estimated by phospholipid fatty acid analysis), was similar in cryoturbated material and in surrounding subsoil, although carbon and nitrogen contents were similar in cryoturbated material and topsoils. This suggests that the microbial community in cryoturbated material was not well adapted to SOM properties. We also measured three potential enzyme activities (cellobiohydrolase, leucine-amino-peptidase and phenoloxidase) and used structural equation models (SEMs) to identify direct and indirect drivers of the three enzyme activities. The models included microbial community composition, carbon and nitrogen contents, clay content, water content, and pH. Models for regular horizons, excluding cryoturbated material, showed that all enzyme activities were mainly controlled by carbon or nitrogen. Microbial community composition had no effect. In contrast, models for cryoturbated material showed that enzyme activities were also related to microbial community composition. The additional control of microbial community composition could have restrained enzyme activities and furthermore decomposition in general. The functional decoupling of SOM properties and microbial community composition might thus be one of the reasons for low decomposition rates and the persistence of 400 Gt carbon stored in cryoturbated material

Sorptive stabilization of organic matter by amorphous Al hydroxide

Amorphous Al hydroxides (am-Al(OH)3) strongly sorb and by this means likely protect dissolved organic matter (OM) against microbial decay in soils. We carried out batch sorption experiments (pH 4.5; 40 mg organic C L-1) with OM extracted from organic horizons under a Norway spruce and a European beech forest. The stabilization of OM by sorption was analyzed by comparing the CO2 mineralized during the incubation of sorbed and non-sorbed OM. The mineralization of OM was evaluated based in terms of (i) the availability of the am-Al(OH)3, thus surface OM loadings, (ii) spectral properties of OM, and (iii) the presence of phosphate as a competitor for OM. This was done by varying the solid-to-solution ratio (SSR = 0.02-1.2 g L-1) during sorption. At low SSRs, hence limited am-Al(OH)3 availability, only small portions of dissolved OM were sorbed; for OM from Oa horizons, the mineralization of the sorbed fraction exceeded that of the original dissolved OM. The likely reason is competition with phosphate for sorption sites favouring the formation of weak mineral-organic bindings and the surface accumulation of N-rich, less aromatic and less complex OM. This small fraction controlled the mineralization of sorbed OM even at higher SSRs. At higher SSRs, i.e., with am-Al(OH)3 more available, competition of phosphate decreased and aromatic compounds were sorbed selectively, which resulted in pronounced resistance of sorbed OM against decay. The combined OC mineralization of sorbed and non-sorbed OM was 12-65% less than that of the original DOM. Sorbed OM contributed only little to the overall OC mineralization. Stabilization of OC increased in direct proportion to am-Al(OH)3 availability, despite constant aromatic C (~30%). The strong stabilization at higher mineral availability is primarily governed by strong Al-OM bonds formed under less competitive conditions. Due to these strong bonds and the resulting strong stabilization, the surface loading, a proxy for the mineral's occupation by OM, was not a factor in the mineralization of sorbed OM over a wide range of C sorption (0.2-1.1 mg C m-2). This study demonstrates that sorption to am-Al(OH)3 results in stabilization of OM. The mineral availability as well as the inorganic solution chemistry control sorptive interactions, thereby the properties of sorbed OM, and the stability of OM against microbial decay

Architecture of soil microaggregates : advanced methodologies to explore properties and functions

The functions of soils are intimately linked to their three-dimensional pore space and the associated biogeochemical interfaces, mirrored in the complex structure that developed during pedogenesis. Under stress overload, soil disintegrates into smaller compound structures, conventionally named aggregates. Microaggregates (<250 µm) are recognized as the most stable soil structural units. They are built of mineral, organic, and biotic materials, provide habitats for a vast diversity of microorganisms, and are closely involved in the cycling of matter and energy. However, exploring the architecture of soil microaggregates and their linkage to soil functions remains a challenging but demanding scientific endeavor. With the advent of complementary spectromicroscopic and tomographic techniques, we can now assess and visualize the size, composition, and porosity of microaggregates and the spatial arrangement of their interior building units. Their combinations with advanced experimental pedology, multi-isotope labeling experiments, and computational approaches pave the way to investigate microaggregate turnover and stability, explore their role in element cycling, and unravel the intricate linkage between structure and function. However, spectromicroscopic techniques operate at different scales and resolutions, and have specific requirements for sample preparation and microaggregate isolation; hence, special attention must be paid to both the separation of microaggregates in a reproducible manner and the synopsis of the geography of information that originates from the diverse complementary instrumental techniques. The latter calls for further development of strategies for synlocation and synscaling beyond the present state of correlative analysis. Here, we present examples of recent scientific progress and review both options and challenges of the joint application of cutting-edge techniques to achieve a sophisticated picture of the properties and functions of soil microaggregates

Extractability of different forms of mineral-associated phosphorus

The sequential extraction scheme introduced by Hedley et al. (1982) and modified by Tiessen and Moir (2008) has become the preeminent measure for estimating biological availability and binding forms of phosphorus in soil. However, the method’s underlying assumptions, especially on the binding forms, have never been subjected to rigorous testing under defined conditions. We reacted different forms of phosphorus (orthophosphate, phytic acid, RNA) with several potentially phosphorus-binding mineral phases (kaolinite, montmorillonite, goethite, ferrihydrite, amorphous Al hydroxide, allophane) at pH 4. Then, the phosphorus-loaded mineral phases were rinsed for removal of excess phosphorus compounds, shock-frozen in liquid N2 and freeze dried. Each 1 g of phosphorus-loaded samples was then mixed with 9 g of purified quartz (sieved to &lt;63 µm) to mimic relations of reactive and nonreactive mineral phases in soil. All samples were then subjected to sequential extraction in line with the Hedley fractionation scheme (water‒resin extraction, extraction with 0.5 M NaHCO3, extraction with 0.1 M NaOH, extraction with 1 M HCl, extraction with concentrated HCl at 80°C). All extracts were analysed for orthophosphate and total phosphorus. The minerals retained different amounts of phosphorus compounds, with the hydrous metal oxides and allophane binding orthophosphate and most of the organic species most strongly. Clay minerals showed the weakest binding of phosphorus compounds. The water‒resin extraction mobilised surprisingly large portions of orthophosphate from all mineral phases and also some of the organic compounds. The NaHCO3 and NaOH extracts removed increasing portions of phosphorus compounds. Amorphous Al hydroxide largely dissolved in 1 M NaOH; the iron oxides and allophane, however, withstood the alkaline extraction. Treatment with 1 M HCl resulted in further release of phosphorus compounds from all minerals, especially from ferrihydrite. The assumption of the Hedley fraction that the 1 M HCl extraction represents exclusively Ca-bound phosphorus, thus, is obviously wrong. In summary, phosphorus forms bound to different minerals contribute to all extracts. Thus, the individual extraction steps of the Hedley do not represent phosphorus bound to certain compounds but phosphorus bound to various mineral phases via bonds of different strength